Artist Biography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A native of Massachusetts, marine artist Paul Garnett was entirely self-taught.

 For seven years he served as the shipwright on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's tall ship replica of the famous "Bounty" that was built for M.G.M.s 1962 production of "Mutiny on the Bounty" starring Marlon Brando.

 His artwork has been featured in"Nautical World Magazine", "Marine Art Quarterly", "Sea History Magazine", "Quarterdeck", "Soundings", "The Nautical Research Journal" and "North Carolina Historical Review" as well as the National Maritime Historical Society’s Christmas cards. He has also had his paintings appear on A & E's Sea Tales, as well as The History Channel's program Historys Mysteries. One was licensed to be used in the background of the movie Ad Astra in 2019.  

 The Clinton County Historical Society in New York, licensed "Battle of Valcour Island" as poster for their recovery project on the lake where the battle took place. This painting has also been used in Facts On File's Revolutionary War Almanac. "Art of the Sea" has featured the artist’s paintings five times over a number of years The number 8,  2006 edition of Denmark’s Historie Magazine included the artist’s "Men Against the Sea" as well as a painting of Joshua Slocum’s "Spray"  being featured in their #1 2014 issue.

 Mr. Garnett's paintings have also been featured as the covers of the trilogy, by naval historian William H. White, about the War of 1812 – "A Press of Canvas", ’"A Fine Tops'l Breeze" and "The Evening Gun" as well as Mr. White’s other works of fiction and non-fiction.  Nicholas Nicastro’s work ‘"Between Two Fires", a novel of John Paul Jones, used Paul’s art for the cover. He had completed artwork for the first two books of William Westbrook’s sea fiction trilogy – ‘"The Bermuda Privateer" and ‘"The Black Ring" and Wayne Grieg's book "Three Strands of an Unraveling Rope". He has done CD cover art for the Telarc's Masters & Commanders , recorded by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, conducted by the late great Erich Kunzel and a CD cover for “Secret Signs”, recorded by the Bow Triplets, an Irish/Celtic folk music group based in Europe.  Most recently, the Royal Mail licensed the image of his painting "Sovereign of the Seas " to use on a stamp on their Royal Navy Ships series.

 The artist's originals can be seen at the J. Russell Jinishian Gallery in Fairfield, Connecticut and the Camden Falls Gallery in Camden, Maine and of course, on his website. They have appeared in such shows as "Modern Marine Masters" at Mystic Seaport, "Water Ways" at Art of the Sea, "Charlestown– Then and Now’" at the Charlestown Naval Museum, ‘"Masters and Commanders" at the Union League Club in New York City, "Art of the Boston Waterfront" at the John Stobart Gallery in Boston. His works also appear in the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport and the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York.

 In July 2005, Mr. Garnett was involved in the National Juried Exhibition at the 12th Annual Maritime Art Exhibition, at the Coos Art Museum in Oregon. Mr. Garnett's work was also featured and auctioned at the Don Cesar Hotel on St. Petersburg Beach in the summer of 2002 when he was OP Sails featured event artist at the gathering of Tall Ships.

 Both the Constitution Museum in Charlestown and the Marine Museum in Fall River Massachusetts have permanent exhibits of his work, as do the Minnesota Maritime Museum, the North Carolina Marine Museum in Beaufort and more recently, the National Coast Guard Museum. 

 The artist was also a longtime member of the National Maritime Historical Society, the International Society of Marine Painters and the Nautical Research Guild. In 2018 he was elected as a Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artist’s (ASMA). His painting "Bottom of the World " toured with the ASMA's  18th National Exhibition.

 He worked from his studio in Marlborough, Massachusetts until he passed away in November 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"For a ship is the noblest of all mans works - a cunning fabric of wood, and iron, and hemp,

wonderfully propelled by wings of canvas, and seeming at times to have the very breath of life."
Nordhoff and Hall, Mutiny On the Bounty

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Prints are no longer available for the artist's paintings